I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 996 The End of the Art of War is Profit
Belgium experiences frequent showers in August, with a short to moderate shower occurring on average every other day.

What made Charles feel comfortable was that, despite it being the hottest season, the temperature in Belgium remained around 20 degrees Celsius, occasionally reaching 28 degrees Celsius, which was considered high. At night, the temperature would drop to a cool and pleasant teens.

Therefore, even when he stayed in the fortress for a long time, he did not feel hot at all.

Of course, this is related to the fact that the Liege fortress was equipped with a sophisticated ventilation system.

That evening, after dinner, Charles took a walk on the path outside the fortress.

Perhaps due to the nutrients from the shells and the ample moisture, the once barren hilltop is now covered with all sorts of unknown weeds, some of which have even grown to waist height, swaying gracefully in the setting sun when a gentle breeze blows.

Insects thrive within it, miraculously forming another food chain.

They are the ones who are carefree, Charles thought, and they can grow anywhere and can never be eradicated. The human world is much crueler than theirs.

Just as Charles was feeling sentimental about the scene, two armored vehicles drove up the winding road and finally stopped in front of the fortress.

A familiar figure jumped off the armored vehicle, and Charles recognized him at a glance as Tijani.

But suddenly it felt unfamiliar.

At this moment, Tijani was completely different from the naive, sunny rich kid he once was. Now, he was indistinguishable from other soldiers, with efficient movements, firm steps, and the unique confidence and pride of the French army.

Tijani originally headed straight for the fortress, but when he saw Charles outside, he quickly walked over.

"Lieutenant General," he called out from afar in a disrespectful tone, "You seem completely unconcerned about what's happening outside."

His tone carried a hint of reproach and even a touch of lecturing.

"Really?" Charles countered, "What's happening outside that's worth you coming all this way?"

In fact, Ciel had already guessed it.

The military typically assumes that information will not be leaked, and even military secrets can still be communicated via radio.

Tijani opted not to send a telegram but to make the trip in person, though it was to deliver sensitive information that was not convenient to communicate.

Tijani quickly stepped forward and gave Charles a salute, but it was just for show; he and Charles didn't really care about such formalities.

“Don’t you find it strange?” He offered Charles a cigarette. “I’m referring to the recent series of actions by the British.”

Charles took the cigarette, lit it, and said, "You mean the British withdrew their troops? They're just admitting their defeat."

"You really think so?" Tijani stared at Charles for a moment, then frowned in exasperation.
"I knew it, you're good at land warfare but not naval warfare."

"You probably haven't even seen the sea more than a few times."

"Oh, yes, you've been to the Dardanelles. I remember you almost threw up your guts on the boat..."

Charles glared at Tijani, which finally shut the guy up.

“The British won’t give up so easily, Lieutenant General,” Tijani said. “I know them.”

Charles asked, "So, what do you think the British will do?"

“It’s very simple,” Tijani replied.

"Just like what you often call 'asymmetric warfare,' that's the tactic the British are using now."

"On land, they could not match the French army, and they could not even defeat the Germans, even though the Germans were about to surrender."

"But they have a powerful navy; they have more warships than we and the Germans combined."

Ciel asked calmly, "And then?"

“Isn’t it obvious?” Tijani replied:

"Just like they're doing now, completely abandoning land and maintaining a presence only with an infantry regiment stationed in the Ruhr region." "Then they imposed a maritime blockade, and now they're even targeting French merchant ships."

"They also organized a Third Fleet, including 10 battleships, to sail into the Mediterranean. This is a deterrent against us. Against us, Lieutenant General!"

Seeing that Charles remained unmoved, he added:
"This kills two birds with one stone, Lieutenant General."

"Doing this will allow them to demonstrate to the world with their powerful navy that they still have the final say at sea, thereby deterring their colonies from taking any rash actions."

"Another reason is to put pressure on France and limit our development; they don't want us to surpass them."

Charles replied, "Actually, the British want reparations from Germany, $130 billion, and they are determined to get it."

Tijani was taken aback: "What does this have to do with reparations?"

“We can defeat the Germans on land, Major General,” Charles replied. “Now the British are telling us they can blockade and defeat us at sea.”

Tijani gave an "Oh," and replied thoughtfully, "Then they can use that as a bargaining chip?"

“Yes.” Charles nodded:
"I believe it won't be long before an Englishman sits in front of me."

“He would adopt a victorious posture and speak to me arrogantly.”

"Hey, Lieutenant General, let's work together like before. We'll negotiate with the Germans together. You can raise the reparations to $100 billion, and we'll keep ours unchanged. What do you say?"

Tijani hummed in agreement: "That sounds like a good suggestion. We can consider it."

"Is that what you think?" Charles asked, somewhat surprised.

The old Tijani wasn't like this; he would have angrily replied, "This is a blatant threat. No one can force us to do something we don't want to do."

Tijani now nodded earnestly:

"why not?"

“We can get more reparations without having to fight the British Navy.”

"This is not good for us, don't you think?"

Charles stared at Tijani for a moment: "You seem to really understand war, Major General."

“Yes.” Tijani gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"That's pretty much it."

"I have discovered that the ultimate goal of the art of war is actually self-interest."

"Everything revolves around profit, and we're no exception, don't you think?"

Charles readily admitted it.

Tijani was the only one besides Gallieri who knew that Charles was exploiting the "French spirit".

Even Lucia didn't know.

It's not that Lucia isn't smart, but rather that she's caught up in blind worship of Charles, or perhaps she's just infatuated.

Like Djoka and Camille, she completely believed that Charles was a noble person, that he was realizing a great ideal, and that he wanted to end the war and strive for peace for mankind.

Many people think this way.

The French military and civilians, as well as colonial countries represented by Algeria, countries colonized by Britain represented by Egypt, and neutral countries such as Greece and the Netherlands...

They all believed in the Charles's ideals and saw him as the hope for world peace.

(End of this chapter)